ARMONK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 19, 2007 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is using IBM software to
develop the software and systems that will operate the James Webb Space
Telescope. The Next Generation Telescope which will succeed the Hubble
Space Telescope will look much closer to the beginning of time and hunt for
the unobserved formation of the first galaxies.

The Telescope, expected to be launched by 2013, will study galaxy, star and
planet formation in the Universe. In order to study how the very first
stars and galaxies formed in the early Universe, NASA will look 'back in
time' and deep into space using light time to travel from the present to
the past. To study the earliest star formation in the Universe, NASA will
observe infrared light, using special instruments optimized to capture this
part of the spectrum.

Nearly 20 years ago when the components and instruments on the Hubble
Telescope were developed, software was built by multiple organizations
using proprietary software for systems development. This approach meant
that maintenance, changes and fixes to components and instruments made
required multiple tools. Over the life of the mission HST developed
software tools to resolve most of these issues.

Because separate space agencies from several different countries around the
world are developing the software that will operate the Telescope's
Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) systems, Command and Data Handling
(CNDH), and the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) that houses the
four primary instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope, it was critical
for NASA to weave a common thread throughout the project that would
circumvent expensive and time consuming software issues.

To address this hurdle, NASA mandated that each agency develop their
systems using open standards-based software from IBM. The software, called
IBM Rational Rose Real-time, is a UML-based visual modeling development
software that acts as a blue print for the entire multi-decade project,
allowing the developers of the various Telescope systems to "drag and drop"
software code directly into the blue print where it is then automatically
available across the entire project.

Rational Rose Real-time helps these systems developers write applications
faster without compromising quality. The IBM software continually verifies
project quality along each step of the development process -- including
code generation, testing, debugging and ongoing changes -- so that systems
development stays on course and without error. This allows the many space
agencies working on the James Webb Space Telescope to be more productive
and able to deliver reliable code on time -- meeting broader project
requirements and industry compliance regulations. Some of the agencies
working on the Telescope are also using IBM Requisite Pro, IBM Rational
ClearCase and IBM Rational ClearQuest which allows them to synchronize
changes within their globally dispersed project teams resulting in faster
innovation.

"It was important that NASA be forward-looking with the James Webb Space
Telescope by using a systems development platform that would be reliable
and ahead of the market throughout the extensive life of the mission," said
Glenn Cammarata, ISIM Flight Software Development Lead, Satellite Software
Corporation, a contractor for NASA. "Since it's based on open standards,
the consistent and unified nature of the IBM software architecture helps
curtail any problems that might present themselves down the road. Rational
Rose Real-Time software was the right choice for the critical nature of the
James Webb Space Telescope. The software is much easier to manage and
maintain pre and post launch."

NASA will continue to use IBM Rational software to maintain the Telescope
after the launch and throughout the life of the mission. Additionally, the
UML-based approach allows NASA to create a standard architecture for this
mission, while its reusable nature will allow it to be deployed on
additional missions moving forward.

"Integrated systems development, whether for a national treasure like the
James Webb Space Telescope, or for aircraft or automobile design, is a
highly complex process of analysis, design, implementation and
maintenance," said Daniel Sabbah, general manager, IBM Rational Software.
"IBM software takes the chaos out of the project by applying governance and
control to the systems development process, allowing organizations like
NASA to deliver projects on time, and meet compliance regulations while
protecting against expensive unforeseen software issues."